In US 2010/171430 A1 a lighting device is disclosed which detects the appearance of a neighboring object and causes the light source of the lighting device to switch off. Detection of a neighboring object is performed using a radio receiver circuit at the lighting device interfacing with a radio transmitter circuit in the neighboring object.
Electronic devices are becoming ever more connected. A “connected” device refers to a device—such as a user terminal, or home or office appliance or the like—that is connected to one or more other such devices via a wireless or wired connection in order allow more possibilities for control of the device. For instance, the device in question is often connected to the one or more other devices as part of a wired or wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth network. The connection may for example allow control of the device from one of the one or more other devices, e.g. from an app (application) running on a user terminal such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop; and/or may allow for sharing of sensor information or other data between the devices in order to provide more intelligent and/or distributed automated control.
In recent years, the number of connected devices has increased dramatically. Lighting systems are part of this movement towards a connected infrastructure. Conventional connected lighting systems consist of fixed light sources, which can be controlled through wall-mounted switches, dimmers or more advanced control panels that have pre-programmed settings and effects, or even from an app running on a user terminal such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop. For example, this may allow user to create an ambiance using a wide range of colored lighting, dimming options and/or dynamic effects. In the home environment, at least one existing system also offers consumers the possibility to implement such a connected lighting solution through retrofit bulbs that can fit into traditional light fittings.